Renato Moicano batters Benoit Saint-Denis, wins via TKO in UFC Paris main event
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to us today, September 28, 2024, for UFC Paris, going down live from the Accor Arena in Paris, France.
Headlining the event was a lightweight contenders bout between no. 11 ranked Renato Moicano (20-5-1) and no. 12 ranked Benoit Saint-Denis (13-3).
Moicano had gone 6-2 since moving up to 155 lbs in 2020, coming into today’s main event on a three-fight win streak showcasing victories over the likes of Brad Riddell (rear naked choke), Drew Dober (UD), and Jalin Turner (TKO).
Saint-Denis on the other hand had gone 5-1 in the UFC’s lightweight division following defeat up at 170 lbs in his promotional debut, defeating the likes of Niklas Stolze (rear naked choke), Gabriel Miranda (TKO), Ismail Bonfim (neck crank), Thiago Moises (TKO), and Matt Frevola (KO) before losing his latest appearance to former interim champion Dustin Poirier (KO) in March.
Continue reading to see how our UFC FN 243 lightweight headliner went down:
Official Result: Renato Moicano def. Benoit Saint-Denis via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of round two
Moicano had Saint-Denis in deep trouble early with his body lock takedown, taking time between holding back mount and full mount, absolutely battering Saint-Denis with vicious elbows and punches from top position for the vast majority of the opening round.
Both of Saint-Denis’ eyes were quite swollen following the opening round, and his right eye also had two cuts over it. That was easily a 10-8, if not 10-7 round (all three judges scored it 10-8 for Moicano).
Saint-Denis had a much better round two, out-striking Moicano on the feet though not fighting with much urgency or pressure as he always does; he was certainly a hindered fighter after taking that much damage in the first five minutes.
The referee called the doctor in to check if Saint-Denis could see properly following round two just before the third started, the doctor advising Marc Goddard to stop the fight after coming to the realization that he couldn’t, and so he did.
Michael Bisping stated after the fight all three judges scored round two for Saint-Denis as well. What an unfortunate ending to this fight. It’s incredible it made it past the first round at all, but who knows how it could’ve went had it not been stopped, and in Saint-Denis’ home country no less.
Renato Moicano has really been coming into his own as of late at 35 years of age, winning his fourth-straight octagon appearance and picking up his second-straight knockout victory (only two in his career) this evening in UFC FN 243’s main event.
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